Georgia celebrates Mother Language Day
On April 14, 1978, an initial march of 15,000 protesters grew to a demonstration involving 100,000 citizens, including students, professors, teachers at a central Tbilisi park – now known as Dedaena Park. After the protest a special monument was erected honouring the day’s events. Photo: 1TV.ge.
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Georgia is celebrating Mother Language Day today, which marks the country’s victory over the Soviet repressive machine in maintaining the Georgian language as the official language.
On April 14, 1978, thousands of Georgians, including students, professors, teachers took to the streets of Tbilisi in protest against the Soviet government’s decision to remove words in the Georgian Constitution solidifying Georgian as the state language.
The Soviet government was forced to retract its decision and retain Georgian as the official state language in Georgia.
Today we [Georgians] express our gratitude to all the participants of the unprecedented civic heroism and, at the same time, we realize the responsibility of our present generations – to support all our fellow citizens in learning Georgian and thus strengthen our statehood; To inherit one of the most ancient and unique languages and the culture created in this language its place in the modern world”, writes Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on his Facebook page.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze says that the devotion of our ancestors, including the strong and unanimous efforts of the society in 1978, have preserve this treasure [Georgian language], ‘which needs special care and protection’.
Georgian is written in its own unique writing system and its alphabet has 33 letters.
It was granted the national status of cultural heritage in Georgia and was added to UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2016.
The story of the UNESCO-recognised writing systems of the Georgian alphabet is now on display at Google Arts and Culture, a major online repository of museum exhibits and cultural phenomena.
Georgia is celebrating Mother Language Day today, marking the country's victory over Soviet attempts to do away with Georgian as the official language of Georgia.
Remarkable moment etched in Georgia’s history
Georgians all over the country are today celebrating Georgian Language Day to mark an occasion 38 years ago when 100,000 citizens protested to protect the status of Georgian language as the official state language.
The ancient Georgian alphabet has been granted the national status of cultural heritage.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday stressed the "duty to preserve and treat with respect" the national language in remarks celebrating the Georgian Language Day across the country.
Georgian institutions and the public are celebrating Mother Language Day today, commemorating mass protests that forced Soviet authorities in 1978 to abandon plans to strip Georgian of the status of the official state language of the country.
Institutions, officials and citizens in Georgia are marking Mother Language Day today, with the date commemorating mass protests that forced Soviet authorities in 1978 to abandon plans to strip Georgian of the status of the official language.
Bjørn Berge, the Deputy Secretary General of Council of Europe, on Friday congratulated Georgian institutions, officials and citizens on the Mother Language Day by highlighting the “important historical background” of the date.